Snake Venom Clots Blood

They’re not the cuddliest of creatures but this video of what occurs when hemotoxic snake venom comes into contact with blood is truly disturbing.

A YouTube user has posted fascinating footage of blood reacting dramatically to snake venom.

The video shows a Russell viper being milked by a snake handler who then collects the venom in a glass jar.

One drop of the potent yellow venom is then extracted and mixed with a vial of human blood.

Within thirty seconds, the blood has turned into a solid block of jelly, demonstrating the venom's phenomenal blood-clotting abilities.

It’s a horrifying sight, but does beg the question as to whether the clotting agent in a snake's venom could be used to prevent people from bleeding to death.

Last month Australian biotechnology company Q-Sera announced it had raised funds to develop technology for producing a serum based on the blood clotting properties of snake venom.